Railway switch-stand



(No Model.)

, 2 Sheets-Sheen 1. D. H, FOREMAN. I RAILWAY SWITCH STAND.

N 357,475. Patented Feb. 8, 188 7.

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I (No Model.) A 2 She'etsSheet 2.

D. H; FOREMAN.

I A RAILWAY SWITCH STAND. I N0. 357,475. Patented Feb. 8-, 1887.

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PATENT Fries.

DAV ID H. FOREMAN, or LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SWITCH-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,475, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed September 28, 1886. Serial No. 214,731. (No model.)

To all whom it may concerm Be it known that I, DAVID H. FOREMAN, of Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster. and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of railroad switch-stands known as automatic, and the several objects of the construction are, first, to embody in a simple construction known as the ground-lever form the automatic feature; second, to enable the operating-lever, except when in actual use for throwing theswitch, to lie flat upon the tie in either position, and to be securely locked, which locking does not in any way interfere with the action of trains upon the stand automatically; third, to provide the fewest possible parts. to be operated on in the automatic acti0n,said parts being under elastic resistance, thus insuring a construction that in practice willbe efficient, durable, and positive.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference in all the figures indicate corresponding parts,Figure1 is a plan view with the lever locked in normal posi tion for the main line. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation taken one I) 0 cl, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a cross-section taken on the line 00 m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan showing the position of the parts when at halfthrow by hand; Fig. 7, the same when at half-throw automatically by the train.

A is a cast-iron base-plate, upon which are formed two lugs or elevations, a and a a, forming a box, which carries the main rotating stand-shaft B. Upon one end of the shaft is secured a weighted hand-operating lever, G. The lever G is supplied with a locking-staple, c, that can be interlocked in either position with the fixed latches c c by means of any ordinary spring'padlock, d; The opposite end of the shaft B is slotted and drilled, as shown at b, for the purpose as hereinafter described.

Into a boring formed in the lug a is fitted a sliding rotating rod, e. This rod is slotted and drilled at e in the same way that the shaft B is slotted and drilled at b. The rod 0 and shaft 13 are connected (thereby forming a continuous shaft) bya pair of swinging links, f f, jointed, respectively, at one end into the slots 6 and b, and at their opposite ends to a connecting-link, D. The joint-pins may be rivets,as shown; or bolts and nuts may beuscd. The rod ecarriesa coiledspring, g,which abuts at one end against the shoulder formed upon the rod by the enlarged slotted bearing end, and is supported at the other end byan adjust'ablestirrup,h. Thisstirrup passesthrough holes in the lug a and is secured thereby by adj usting-nuts h 71/2. The stirrup h also acts as a guide to the end of the sliding rotating rode. The rod 6 is tapped and fitted with jam-nuts *5 upon the side of the stirrup-head opposite the spring designed to act as a stop upon the rod 6 to limit the distance it can be forced toward the rotating stand-shaft B by the spring 9. The connectinglink D is turned upon the center, forming a crank-pin, which is fitted to the main switch-rod E by the boxing h.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. 1 that with the lever 0 locked in horizontalposition the spring 9, confined within the stirrup h by its elasticity, forces the horizontally-flexible construction f, D, and f into the form of a crank,fulcrumed upon theshaft B and rod 6. It will also be seen that the force exerted upon the rod 6 will be proportionally transmitted to the switch-rod E.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, both of which represent the stand completely thrown, it will be seen that the nuts i are clear of the stirrup h. It is evident, therefore, that the force exerted upon the switch-rod E by the spring 9, as above stated,is resisted by theswitch-point forced against the main rail, thus producing the desired constant cushioned pressure upon the switch-point.

In the operation of throwing the switch by the lever O,since the spring gis strong enough the crank form in the link construction as the lever, the link D describing a distance sufficientto throw the point, as in the ordinary solid shaft and crank. When the lever O is at half-throw, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the

to resist the weight of the switch, it maintains same is being rotated from right to left by the IOO spring g is unresisted by any force from the switch-rod E. It will therefore force the sliding rod 0 down until the nutsi are brought against the stirrup h; but, since the switchpoint will be thrown against the main rail before the lever O is completely thrown, in forcing said lever down to the horizontal position the sliding rod 6 is driven against the force of the spring g, thus sliding the nuts i clear of the stirrup hand restoring the desired constant elastic pressure upon the switch-point at either complete throw of the lever, as before stated. The levcrOisbrought to andrests upon a horizontal line cutting the center of the shafts in either position. Therefore, since the link construction embodies in this position all the functions of a toggle-joint to any unresisting force exerted upon the rod IE, it will be seen that a train acting upon the switch will force the links f f through to the opposite side of the shafts by compressing the spring 9, as shown in Fig. 7, when, by the force of the spring exerted upon the rod e, as before, the point will be securely held in position.

I do not overlook the fact that,since the lever 0 remains immovable after an action of this kind upon the links alone, the relative positions of the link D and lever Cwill be redescribed my invention, what I 2. The combination, in a switch-stand, of a base-plate having bearings, shaft B, rod e,and flexible crank-connection, the rod 0 having the capacity of both rotary and end movement, substantially as set forth.

3. In a switch-stand, the combination of a base-plate, bearings, shaft B, rod 6, flexible crank-connection, stirrup 71, spring g, and nuts 1', substantially asset forth.

4. The combination,in aswitch-stand, of a b base-plate, bearings, shaft B, rod e, flexible crank-connection, and weighted lever 0, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the base-plate A, bearings, rotary shaft having a flexible crankconnection, and rod E, substantially as set forth.

6. A base-plate having bearings, a shaft mounted in said bearings and havinga flexible crank-connection as a part thereof, combined with a switch-rod attached to the flexible crank-connection and a spring surrounding said shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, in a switch-stand, of the base-plate A, stirrup h, rod 0, nuts 'i, spring g, flexible crank-connection, shaft B, rod E, and weighted lever O, substantially as set forth.

8. The base-plate A, having the lug or bearing a, combined with the threaded stirrup h, having the nuts h h", substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

DAVID H. FOREMAN. [n s] \Vitnesses:

Onils. G. SHIKE, S. B. FOREMAN. 

